Jean Canfield Hill

Born on April 17, 1933 in Hartford, CT to parents Kenneth and Katharine Beebe Canfield,

Jean is survived by her loving husband of 68 years James (Jim) J. Hill. A beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Jean will be dearly missed by her family: her son Kenneth (Cynthia) Hill of Concho, AZ; her son Bruce (Ina) Hill of Fairfax, VA, and their children, Sarah Hill, Pearl (Collin) Hansen, Chris (Sinclaire Mills) Hill, Grace Lee, and Katherine Hill; her daughter Jennifer (Michael) Stassen of Glastonbury, CT, and their children Emily (Gabriella) Pacht, Eric (Mehak Sharma) Stassen, Elizabeth Stassen, and Shao Stassen; and her great-grandchildren Cameron and Ariah. She is also survived by her brother Ken Canfield of Old Lyme, CT.

A graduate of Wethersfield High School (Class of 1950) and of Hartford Hospital School of Nursing (Class of 1953), Jean worked as a nurse at Frontier Nursing Services in Kentucky. She then adventured around the world with her Air Force husband and her children. She visited all 50 states and lived in numerous states and even Libya before settling down in Essex, CT.

A wonderful musician, singer, cook, and gardener, Jean leaves her family and friends with many fond memories. She passed on her talent for guitar and her love of country-flavored music to her eldest son Kenneth. As an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, she sang in the church choir and always looked forward to the annual rummage sales, where she could be found working in the White Elephant room. In addition to the church choir, Jean enjoyed singing with Cappella Cantorum. Jean passed on her love for sports by teaching her children and grandchildren how to play catch and loved watching many Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots games with them. Her famous chocolate cake and cookies were always a highlight of the annual family trip to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and everyone looked forward to her pumpkin bread at Thanksgiving. Jean will be lovingly remembered for her caring nature, wit, and devotion to her family and community.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, January 3rd at 1:00PM at St. John’s Episcopal Church (23 Main St, Essex, CT 06426).

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wethersfield Historical Society: 150 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109. To share a memory or to leave a condolence, please visit www.rwwfh.com.